The pair of us have had rather a lazy day today, indulging ourselves for once by not watching the clock or setting ourselves targets to let the day unravel at its own speed. Having served coffee and breakfast I still managed to be productive workwise by wading through a morass of picture editing and paperwork before lunchtime. Oh, the joys of freelance life!
The weather here in the Calder Valley remains mild and mostly dry, so we also managed to get out for a late afternoon constitutional, walking through our local woods where the trees have attained their panoply of autumn colours to look stunning. Heading downhill to the valley bottom we joined the canal for an easy stroll into Sowerby Bridge and a short interlude in Williams Bar where we enjoyed a quiet drink away from the masses. Well, what passes for ‘masses’ in Sowerby Bridge on a Sunday in October! I indulged in a pint of Arizona from our late friend Tony’s Phoenix brewery whilst Dawn pushed the boat out with a diet Coke!
The steep walk back uphill is always a little harder after adding some extra liquid ballast but we’re used to that. Now we’re home Dawn’s busied herself in the kitchen whilst I’m ensconced in the office looking at hotel options for my forthcoming trip to Scotland. I know what place that I won’t be staying! I stumbled across this ‘gem’ during my research. Clearly, some people are ‘extracting the urine’ when it comes to charging for accommodation thanks to the forthcoming COP26 conference!
I’ll leave you with a picture of the day which is far removed from Scotland or Yorkshire. I took it in Watchbell St, Rye, East Sussex earlier this week. I love this style of building, but I’d hate to think how much they cost to maintain. We live in a stone-built cottage that dates from the 1850s and that’s bad enough…
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
After my travels of the past few days I’ve been very much ‘valley bound’ today – despite the temptation to stray as the weather’s been absolutely glorious with wall to wall sunshine! However, I’ve had far too much to do with editing the several hundred pictures that I’ve taken so far this week as well as preparing the ground for the articles I’ll be writing as a follow-on. This has meant I’ve been stuck in the office staring at a screen for hours at a time. I did manage to escape for a couple of hours this afternoon for my daily constitutional and wandered down into Sowerby Bridge to pick up some shopping, then strolled back along the canal before walking back through the woods. It was a complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of London. That said, I did really enjoy being back in my former home of 25 years. Despite my love of the countryside and the Calder Valley, I’m a city boy at heart! It’s why I can feel at home in some of the worlds great conurbations like Bangkok, or Delhi…
Having spent so much time in the company of others one of the first things I did when I got back was take a lateral flow test to ensure I wasn’t bringing home anything unexpected. The new rise of Covid is a concern. I’m praying that we don’t f*ck it up again, but the way many people behave (as if it’s all over – just because restrictions have been relaxed) worries me. I want to get travelling again in the new year but I’m worried that the UK is going to be seen on the world stage as ‘plague Island’ – as if being a laughing stock because of Brexit and our useless government isn’t enough!
Anyway, from a personal perspective it’s not been a bad day. As I’ve been penning these words the last batch of pictures from my travels has been uploading to my Zenfolio website (yep, I’m still working at 21:50) you can find the railway and travel ones by following this link to my ‘recent’ section which will show you what galleries the pictures have been added to. But, if you’re interested in the ones from my visit to the HS2 construction sites at Euston, you can find those here. I’ve several other visits to different HS2 sites lined up over the next few months, so expect a lot more blogs and articles about that. You won’t be reading much about the HS2rebellion protests as they’ve literally run into the ground!
So, on to the picture of the day. What to choose? There’s hundreds of new pictures taken over the past few days and dozens of old slide scans that I’ve not had chance to finish editing just yet. Hmm, OK, how about this? It’s a picture from the HS2 construction site and a perspective that very few people get to see…
Doesn’t look like much, does it? Just a hole in the ground. Except that in several years time this hole will be the site of the 10 HS2 platforms at Euston. A few years ago, this was the site of one of the biggest archeological digs in the UK as this was St James’s Gardens – which was previously a graveyard that contained around 50,000 burials, including Captain Matthew Flinders, the first person to circumnavigate Australia. This works changed the skyline of Camden and also London. See that building sticking up just to the left of the trees? That’s ‘the shard’ which you’d never have seen from here before.
Oh, and this isn’t the end of things. The site is to be excavated at least another 10 metres from the level you see here as there’s service passages and rooms to be built below the actual levels of the HS2 platforms. It’s a massive, massive job on a site that covers 60 acres of central London. I’ll be writing about it in detail for some magazines, so this is all you’re getting for now. Personally, I find it fascinating on so many levels (if you’ll pardon the pun).
Right, that’s enough for now. Enjoy your Friday folks…
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances realy appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Tempting as it was I resisted writing a rolling blog today as experience has taught me HS2 site visits give me little time to write ’em as I’m too busy taking pictures and notes. Don’t worry. You’ll get a full run-down of my visit to Euston soon.
The day started in Clapham where I’d spent the night staying with an old friend. The visit didn’t start until 12:15 so I had time for a mooch around parts of the capital’s rail network first. Of course, Clapham Junction’s a very good place to start such an activity. The station’s recovered much of its old hustle and bustle even if some of the changes promised have yet to materialise. By 2019 most of the old BR built fleets operated by Southwestern Railway were meant to have been replaced. They still soldier on whilst their
Bombardier built replacements (the class 701s) have yet to turn a wheel in revenue earning service. I did see one of the new trains (well, most of it. It was missing the front end skirts again) on test and I pictured it at Waterloo. I can’t add the shot right now, but I will tomorrow. Waterloo was another station that had regained the old atmosphere as crowds scurried hither and thither, Waterloo East was somewhat quieter but my next stop (London Bridge) was just as frenetic. I hope to return next week as I have a job to do here. I still can’t get over what a transformation the station has had and seeing surplus to SWR requirement Class 707s here added to the effect. I moved on via Thameslink to St Pancras International before walking down to Euston in time for my appointment with HS2, having avoided crossing London on the tube.
The press trip around the HS2 works at Euston could best be described as intimate, which was brilliant as we had plenty of time for briefings and to ask questions. I’ll be writing about what we saw at length, but for now all you’ll get is a couple of teaser pictures.
Looking down on the site of the old Eston Downside carriage shed. Here’s where HS2 will emerge from the tunnels from Old Oak Common and run into Euston. You won’t see it when it’s built as this area will be built over afterwards Looking towards Euston station from atop the HS2 construction partners offices on the site of the old Euston downside carriage shed.
We had over three hours to be shown round and briefed, allowing us enough time to absorb the massive scale of the work at Euston and ask pertinent questions – especially on a day when the Governments HS2 Minister, Andrew Stephenson confirmed that the new station would only have 10 (not 11) high speed platforms
Afterwards the day took a social turn as me posting pictures on social media meant some friends knew I was in town so we ended up meeting for a quick pint outside the Euston Tap before I caught the 17:40 Avanti service northwards towards home. Like so many trains I’ve been on recently, this 11 car Pendolino has been really busy – especially when you consider the fact the first stop is Crewe. Yep, this is a service that will be vastly speeded up when it transfers to HS2.
Having slipped out of bed at 04:45 in order to beat the alarm clock and not disturb Dawn I’m currently on Northern’s 06:00 from Halifax to Leeds. My extra early start gave me plenty of time to walk to the station and the rain Gods smiled on me. So now today’s adventure starts. I’m heading for the South coast before a night in London. Stay tuned to see how the trip goes…
The 06:00’s the first train of the day towards Leeds and never the busiest as it’s only working from Hebden Bridge. That said, the 3-car Class 195 that’s working it today has (at a rough guess) loadings of between 20-25%. This time of day the passengers are all solitary folk on their way to work.
Early-birds off the 06:00 from Halifax at Leeds.
07:00.
I’ve transferred to the 07:00 to London Kings Cross. At this time of day Leeds is a hive of activity for LNER as trains from outlying towns and cities converge like Bradford and Skipton converge on the station before taking Yorkshire business folk down to the capital. The 07:00’s one example. Having started from Bradford Forster Square it reverses at Leeds, after which it makes one more stop at Wakefield Westgate before running non-stop to London, making the 185 miles and 70 chains trip from Leeds in 1 hour 59 minutes.
07:17.
We’ve just left Wakefield Westgate where several dozen passengers awaited our arrival. Needless to say, they’re almost exclusively business travellers. The tables in my car are now covered in laptops as people catch up on emails or other work. There’s a sea of red seat reservation lights in my coach, but a quick headcount reveals many seats are unoccupied. On a walk-through the car I count 31 people in a vehicle with 88 seats (27.3%) but as this is coach 9 of a 10 car set I know the cars that were nearer the Leeds gateline will be busier.
07:45.
We’re now flying down the East Cost Main Line, having just passed Retford. The day’s just beginning to dawn and I can see it’s wet. Very wet! Rain’s beating on the opposite side of the train so hard it’s making noise like a sizzling frying pan. I’m happy to be stuck inside this metal tube where it’s warm, dry and I can get on with some work.
08:20.
Fortified with a rather good coffee from the buffet (it’s strong and rich, unlike the dishwater you get on some trains) I’ve been occupied with researching today’s assignment whilst keeping one eye on the weather. The rain’s stopped for now but the low grey clouds look very uninviting. The forecast for the South coast is better, but we’ll have to see. We’re only 40 mins away from London now…
08:40.
Joy! Watery sunlight’s penetrated the murk here at Hitchin! Cloud level doesn’t seem to be changing, but it does appear to be thinning. On another note, I’ve just wandered through the car to the loo and observed that I’m the only person who’s still wearing a mask. Still, they don’t matter anymore now that Covid cases are dropping, do they? Oh, wait…
And the moral of the story is – wear a mask!
09:30.
I decided to take the ‘scenic’ route to the South coast which saved me having to cross London on the tube. I’m now on a Southeastern ‘Javelin’ service from St Pancras International to Ashford. I say ‘scenic’ but as much of it is in tunnels and it passes through Dagenham before it reaches the Rainham marshes that is somewhatof a misnomer! I’ve not been this aay since Covid kicked-off so I was amazed to see the amount of new housing neing built on brownfield sites on the ribbon of land North of the railways to Rainham.
I have to say it’s a pleasure to be able to speed between central London and Ashford in this fashion. As a former Londoner I remember what a schlep this was from our home in Crouch End, having to get the tube across to Charing Cross/London Bridge for the slow service.
10:40.
Having arrived at Ashford just 38 minutes after leaving St Pancras I’m now on the ‘Marshlink’ line on the non-electrified line between here and Ore. I’ve come this was as I’m hoping to kill two birds with one stone and get pictures around the area for another client. Fortunately, the weather’s playing ball. The skies are clearing, the sun’s appearing and the skies are turning blue! My luck might just have turned…
15:00.
Apologies for the gap in updates but I’ve been a busy bee. I took an hour-long break in the lovely town of Rye. Built on a hill and once famous as the nearby home of the comedian and author Spike Milligan (who lived close by in Udimore) it’s still a lovely place to visit as it has some fascinating old buildings. Here’s an example. That said, the place is starting to look a bit tatty. Many building are in need of quite a bit of TLC. Rotten window frames, peeling paintwork and closed shops are common. It’s a crying shame.
I was tempted to tarry but as the train service is hourly and I had a lot more to do I resisted the temptation. That said, I fitted a lot into the hour as the weather worked out for me which allowed me to get some half-decent pictures before moving on to my main destination. Eastbourne.
20:00.
I’m now back in London and winding down for the evening after a packed day. I struck lucky with the light as soon as I arrived in Eastbourne which allowed me to get shots in the bag sooner than I expected. Having done so I was able to have a wander around town, something I’ve never done before. Like many towns (seaside or otherwise) there’s a glut of empty shots as retail faces the forces of rising rents, online retail, Brexit and Covid. I saw a number of buildings that looked like they were once department stores but also a lot of smaller shops that were once eateries. It’s sad, but the world’s changing – as it always has.
Anyway, I’ll end this blog with a few pictures as I’m too knackered to write anymore after a 04:30 start and I’ve a busy day tomorrow.
The windmill at Rye, which is right next to the railway. Sadly, the classic shot of the two is now far too overgrown, but I’m tempted to do a wide-angle, higher level shot next time…The frontage of Eastbourne station. The building itself is being restored and the local Council have helped by changing the roads outside.
Tomorrow I’m in search of the new rather than the old as I’ll be exploring the High-Speed 2 railway construction sites at Euston in London…
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
It’s a beautifully sunny day here in West Yorkshire, so after being cooped up in the office since Monday I’m venturing out and heading West to give myself and the camera an outing and make the most of the autumn light. I’ve also arranged to meet a friend who’s over from Ireland and pick up some exotic food shopping from Manchester’s Chinatown as I can’t get the ingredients in our neck of the woods. I’m hunting Kecap Manis, the Indonesian/Malaysian sweet soy sauce which is a staple of Asian cousine in that part of the world. Anyone who’s been to Indonesia and eaten locally will immediately know what I’m talking about. The little plastic bottles of sweet chili sauce and Kecap Manis are ever-present on the tables of Rumah Makan’s (food stalls) across the archipelago.
Right now I’m sitting on the 10:44 from Halifax to Manchester which is made up of a pair of CAF built 195/0s. It’s busy, but not overly so. Passenger numbers on the railways have really bounced back, especially leisure travel. Commuter and business numbers are still down but climbing. The bounce-back has confounded the sceptics who predicted a much slower recovery. I’ll be interested to see how busy Manchester’s main stations are later today…
Watch out for regular updates and pictures throughout the day…
20:33
Sorry! I take back (with embarrassment) what I said about regular updates. I’m now on my way home from Manchester after a really good day but one that went anything but to plan. I’d intended to head West to get pictures of the Porterbrook leasing Class 769 bi-mode trains and also get a few shots of the new Stadler Class 777s which are on test runs before being introduced into service on Merseyrail. But today was ‘one of those days’. For once I had company on my quest. I met an Irish friend who’s over in the UK for a break but who’d never explored the routes I was looking at, so it seemed like a natural synergy. Having hooked up at Victoria we headed West on a pair of 156s to Wigan with the intent of catching up with the 769s there. It wasn’t to be. On arrival we checked ‘Real ‘Time Trains’ only to find the bi-modes were few and far between and certainly not on any train we were waiting for. There was only one thing for it. Adjourn to the pub and plan..
The Swan and Railway is a great refurbished multi-room pub that’s kept all its original features. It also has a cracking range of real ales. You can find it opposite North Western railway station or two minutes down the hill from Wallgate station.
Admitting defeat when it came to finding Class 769s we moved on via old rattletraps (aka Class 150s) to Burscough Bridge where we stopped for a pint at the Hop Vine, a brew pub that’s well worth a visit. We’d held out a forlorn hope that we might find a 769 going our way, but it wasn’t to be. However, our cunning plan was that we’d arrive at our next destination (Southport) ahead of a test run of one of Merseyrail’s new Stadler built Class 777s. Like most plans that involve test trains, it soon fell apart as the train path wasn’t activated. So, yet again, there was only one thing to do – adjourn to the pub after a lightening tour of the town.
We’ve had a quiet but busy day here at Bigland Towers. I’ve been whittling down a list of ‘things to do’ both business-wise and socially, whilst at the same time lining up some jobs for the future with varying degrees of success. During the process I received a phone-call from a work-colleague of 12 years standing who’s become more than that as we see each other as good friends. She wanted to let me know that she’ll be leaving her job by the end of the year but wanted to tell me herself rather than me find out on the grapevine. I was delighted for her as she would be crazy to turn down the opportunity she’s been offered, but also sad that we probably wouldn’t work together again as she’s leaving the industry completely. Such is life, when you’ve been around for so many years as I seem to have been now you often see people come and go. Some of them you miss, others not…
Apart from that note of sadness it’s been a positive day. The weather’s been kind I’ve managed to bump up my exercise regime as a consequence and still get a lot done. Oh, there’s several blogs in preparation too – all I have to do now is find the time to root out the pictures for them.
As well as everything else I’ve also managed to get around to scanning a few more old slides. Not a huge amount, but the logjam is starting to be cleared once more. When the photographic work quietens down again (as it normally does in December-January) I’ll be rattling through slides at a much faster rate. Normally, January would be our big holiday. Dawn and I would get away for at least a month in SE Asia and I’d often stay away much longer, but Covid’s put paid to those plans, at least for now. Instead, I’ll be clearing the decks of various projects here in the UK. But, in homage to warmer climes and those long trips to exotic locations that have been the mainstay of my life for so long – here’s the picture of the day from today’s scans. I took this picture (on slide film) on the 14th December 1993. This was my hotel in India – honest!
The building you see is the Umaid Bhawan palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The palace was begun in 1929 as a job creation scheme as the area was suffering from a severe drought that deprived many farmers of their living. It was commissioned by Maharaja Umaid Singh and designed by the British architect Henry Vaughan Lanchester (a contemporary of Edwin Lutyens). The Maharajah’s ancestors still occupy the majority of the 347 room building, but when I was there part of it had been converted into a hotel. Lynn and I hadn’t planned to stay there, but it was Lynn’s first time in India and we’d had to sleep in the luggage racks of a packed overnight train from Delhi, so I thought a bit of luxury was in order as a commiseration. Of course, in 1992, the cost of luxury was very different to what it is today and the room we had was actually quite reasonable! That evening we sat out on the balcony you can see here, sipping cold beers, watching peacocks wander the lawns and through the bougainvillea bushes. Then at sunset, a sitar and tabla player appeared to give us our own personal performance. Magic! If you want to see more pictures that I took at the palace, you can find them here.
Oh, to be able to have the freedom to do these things again…
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
The pair of us are starting to adjust to the idea of being back at home and work after a much-needed break in Shropshire. The positive note was that we came back just in time to catch some lovely autumnal weather which has stayed with us today – even if we only got out to enjoy it this evening as the day’s been full on for the both of us, catching up with work commitments as well as planning the next few weeks. I’ve got some interesting events coming up over the next few weeks, plus some new opportunities in the pipeline. Dawn’s been occupied catching up with her colleagues at Community Rail Network, one of whom pointed out that it’s only eight weeks until we’re down in Southampton for the Community Rail Awards! This year seems to be flying by, despite the continuance of the fallout from the pandemic, lockdown and all the other stuff that made 2020 feel to drag. To be honest, I can’t say I’ll be sorry to see the back of 2021 in the hope that 2022 will finally see a return to near normal and I can get away from ‘plague island’ for a while.
The change in the seasons are becoming very obvious in our local woodland, where the leaves are developing their autumnal palette, far more so than the trees we observed in Shropshire which are clinging on to their summer greens. I’m praying we get plenty of bright, sunny days before the final leaves are shed as it’s a glorious time of year to be out with a camera. But first, I have a few other jobs to do that involve cities, not countryside. Although not all will involve such architectural gems as the picture of the day…
Today’s image was taken on our Shropshire sojourn during a visit to Ludlow, a fantastic old market town full of Tudor and other era gems. This is the frontage of the wonderfully wonky Feathers Hotel.
The frontage of the building was completed in 1619 although the core is earlier. The hotel is three storeys high excluding the cellar and has a three-bay plan, with bays which are moulded and carved mullions and transoms, with cast diamond glazing. It was built by Rees Jones, an attorney from Pembrokshire who had come to Ludlow to pursue his profession at the “Council of the Marches”. Clearly, the legal profession was a wealthy one in those days. Nowadays it’s a grade 1 listed building that’s been a hotel for many years.
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
We’re now back home after a brilliant week in Shropshire. We left this morning but took most of the day to come back in order to prolong the holiday. First off we nipped back down to Ironbridge for breakfast in the hope we’d see the place in the sunshine that was predicted. Sadly, that wasn’t the reality. Low cloud and mist cloaked the area leaving the light looking flat. Even so, we enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the town – and a decent breakfast of smashed Avocado and poached egg on toast at a cafe overlooking the bridge.
Bidding adieu we decided to ignore the motorways and cut across country in order to explore. As much as we’ve enjoyed Shropshire we’ve noticed a marked difference to home as we’ve toured the county. Many country pubs are derelict or are intact but remain closed, meaning it’s hard to find somewhere to stop for a drink or bite to eat. In contrast, most of Yorkshire’s establishments have reopened. Why there’s such a disparity is impossible to fathom. We know some of our locals are struggling to find staff. Is the situation worse in Shropshire, and if so – why?
Heading back the first major town we looked at was Market Drayton. As the name suggests it’s a market town. There’s some fine old half-timbered buildings but we weren’t tempted to stop as we’d been spoiled earlier in the trip when we’d visited marvelous Ludlow (and also Shrewsbury). So, we kept driving across country. Passing through Loggerheads (no, really!) to skirt Stoke and pass through Leek before hitting the Peak District. The weather improved the farther North we got, so much so that by the time we arrived in Buxton the temperature felt more like June rather than October! It was so good we decided to take a break and found a pub with a beer garden where we could sit and soak up some rays over a drink and watch the world go by.
Buxton is known for its waters (bottled and spring) but for people with an interest in railways the area’s also known for its rail connected quarries which ship stone all around the UK. Dawn was happy to drive past the one at Peak Forest in order than I could grab a couple of library pictures as the weather conditions were perfect. Here’s a sample.
An empty DB Cargo train backs into the loading area at Peak Forest. Each one of those wagons can carry almost 78 tonnes of stone. There’s 22 of them in that formation. Loaded, they’ll carry 1,700 tonnes. In contrast, an 8-wheel HGC road vehicle can carry just under 20 tonnes, meaning each train like this is taking 85 8-wheeler lorries off the roads. Oh, and that’s before we even think about the amount of Co2 saved, not to mention all the other environmental benefits.
The rest of the trip home was in weather akin to what you can see in the picture. Sadly, it’s not forecast to last, but hey-ho. We’ve had a great break in Shropshire which we both thoroughly enjoyed – and we’ve still got the weekend to look forward to (and a busy week after that)…
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Just a short blog from me today – although I’ll flesh it out when I have a little more time when I’m back at work.
Today the pair of us passed the day walking on the Long Mynd above the little town of Church Stretton in Shropshire. The Mynd’s a heath and moorland plateau that’s been designated and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It’s reached by a series of steep climbs from the town – which it towers over. Unlike when we climbed nearby Caer Caradoc we were lucky with the weather, as these pictures show. I’ll describe the area in more detail soon…
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
The weather forecast for Shropshire was lousy today. It claimed we’d be awash with rain, so we’d planned accordingly and arranged a couple of indoor visits. After a leisurely start to the day that involved lots of coffee and a healthy breakfast of porridge, blueberry compote and toasted coconut flakes we drove off to our first assignment – a visit to the Royal Airforce Museum at Cosford. For anyone interested in aircraft it’s an amazing place packed full of aircraft right through from World War 1 Sopwith Pups right to prototype Eurofighters – with lots more in between. The aircraft and other exhibits are spread over several halls, most of which are old aircraft hangers but the building dedicated to telling the story of the ‘cold war’ is a custom-built structure and a great exhibition space. Due to Covid rules we were encouraged to pre-book and register for add-ons like the 4D ‘Red Arrows’ experience, where you feel like you’re in the cockpit of one of the planes flying in their famous displays. The museum was quiet when we visited so we had the 4D experience (which costs £5 apiece) to ourselves. The pair of us found the museum so interesting we ended up spending several hours there, from 11:00 until after 14:30. Admittedly, we did take a coffee break in the cafe in-between halls!
An English Electric ‘Lightning’ interceptor aircraft on display in the ‘Cold War’ building. The Mach 2 Lightning was in service with the RAF from 1960 until 1988. It was designed to protect the RAF’s nuclear deterrent ‘V-Bomber’ airfields from Russian bomber aircraft. It’s displayed like this in homage to its incredible rate of climb capability which led to the nickname pilots gave it – the ‘Frightening’. This is the British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 strike and reconnaissance aircraft, one of only two ever built before the programme was cancelled back in 1965. The decision was controversial with some people maintaining this was the best aircraft we never built. Here’s the Sikorsky S-65/HH-53C ‘Super Jolly Green Giant’ helicopter which was converted for special operations – hence the rotary cannon sticking out of the side behind the cockpit!
On leaving we drove back to our next appointment which was in Shrewsbury where we’d booked to see the new James Bond film “No time to Die”. At 2 hours 40 it’s hardly a short film but to be honest, the time flew by! It’s a blockbuster of a film with a real twist that I won’t reveal but fans of the franchise won’t be disappointed by the action scenes, chases, locations or gadgets. Daniel Craig’s as excellent as ever. Personally, I’d have to say he’s been my favourite Bond since Sean Connery started the ball rolling.
Now we’re relaxing at ‘home’ with a drink after scoffing a home-made veggie noodle stir-fry. Tomorrow the weathers meant to change once more so we’ll be back outdoors. The plan is to spend much of the day walking on the Long Mynd at Church Stretton, which is a wonderful bit of countryside. Watch this space…
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Paul Bigland 